Cycling computer with image processing device

ABSTRACT

A cycling computer with image processing device is provided for a bike and includes a monitor and a button. The cycling computer is designed to record traffic conditions and physiological signals of a rider. The traffic conditions and the physiological signals are digitalized into cycling data to be displayed on a monitor through operation of a button. A CCD device is mounted on the cycling computer for recording environmental images. An image processing unit is connected to the CCD device for receiving the environmental images captured by the CCD module. The environmental images are incorporated with the cycling data to form a plurality of object images. The object images are displayed on the monitor for versatile applications to the rider.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No. 15/162,625 filed on May 24, 2016, entitled “Cycling Computer with Image Processing Device”.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a cycling computer for a bike, and in particular to a cycling computer with an image processing device adapted to be integrated with a bike and capable of providing versatile applications to rider.

2. The Related Arts

Cycling is a quite popular sport and convenient transport. The bike has environmentally friendly advantage, without need of fuel oil, making use of cycling increases sharply.

In order to provide the best riding experience to the rider, there are a considerable number of cycling computer capable of recording and displaying various information.

The conventional cycling computer is capable of recording traffic conditions such as mileage, speed, slope, altitude and traffic path. The cycling computer is also capable of detecting physiological signals such as heartbeat, temperature, or consumption of calories. These information serving as traffic conditions and physiological conditions after process and display for rider's references.

That is, the conventional cycling computer is only designed to focus on obtaining simple traffic information and physiological information during riding.

For example, in prior arts, Taiwan patent application No. 103140585 disclosed a personal exercise measurement system, and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/583,756 disclosed a personal exercise simulation system.

However, the conventional cycling computers do not provide functions of recording, processing, analyzing, and comparing surrounding environment images during riding.

Further, the conventional cycling computer does not provide functions of cooperating with exercise training device of an indoor fitness.

The conventional car recorder is designed to record images, without functions of measuring other information such as body activity, speed and physiological information.

For this reason, the conventional cycling computer still has room for improvement.

It is thus a challenge to the industry to overcome the above-discussed problems and issues.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a cycling computer with function of processing images, which incorporates advantages of conventional cycling computer of a bike and image processing technique to provide advanced record of information.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a cycling computer with function of processing images, which is capable of recording, photographing, processing images of topographies, objects and environments during riding.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a cycling computer with function of processing images, which is capable of integrating physiological signals of rider into the environmental images during riding for further applications.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a cycling computer with function of processing images, providing an image displaying function in addition to the original capabilities of the cycling computer.

To achieve the above objects, the cycling computer of the present invention includes a monitor and a button. The cycling computer is designed to record traffic conditions and physiological signals of a rider. The traffic conditions and the physiological signals are digitalized into cycling data to be displayed on a monitor through operation of a button. A CCD device is mounted on the cycling computer for recording environmental images. An image processing unit is connected to the CCD device for receiving the environmental images captured by the CCD module. The environmental images are incorporated with the cycling data to form a plurality of object images. The object images are displayed on the monitor for versatile applications to the rider.

In the above arrangement, a memory is connected to the image processing unit for storing the object images for providing other applications to the rider.

In the above arrangement, a GPS module is mounted in the cycling computer for detecting a geographic data of the bike. The geographic data is integrated into the object images and then real-time displayed on the monitor for providing navigation reference to the rider.

In the above arrangement, in addition to the display of the object images on the monitor, the cycling computer may couple to other external electronic devices. For example, the cycling computer 1 includes a RF wireless transmission device for transmitting real-time or recorded object images to the external electronic devices such as a personal computer, a smart phone or a television through a Wifi interface, a Bluetooth interface or an Infrared rays interface.

In the above arrangement, the cycling computer includes a wired transmission device for transmitting real-time or recorded object images to a personal computer, a smart phone or a television through a USB interface, a FireWire interface or a HDMI interface to display high-quality images.

In the above arrangement, when the bike incorporated with the cycling computer of this invention is located on street, the environment images around the bike may be captured by the smart phone or other portable electronic device, so that the rider can keep track of the bike to achieve anti-theft effect.

In addition, the cycling computer may include an acceleration sensor for detecting an acceleration data. The acceleration data is incorporated into the object images for providing valuable safety information to the rider of the bike.

In additional applications, the cycling computer of this invention may be connected with an exercise training device of an indoor fitness through a wireless transmission device or a wired transmission device for transmitting the object images to the exercise training device. The training resistance, the speed or other exercise status of the exercise training device can be adjusted to provide an exercise effect to the rider. By means of the cycling data recorded in the object image, it is possible to simulate a real movement to the rider, without need of riding bike outdoors.

Based on the image processing capability of the cycling computer of the present invention, the CCD device may include a rotatable shaft so that the CCD device is rotatable to face the rider to perform a self-taken photograph. Alternatively, the cycling computer may be provided with an inward CCD device arranged to face toward the rider to allow the rider to perform a self-taken photograph.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a functional circuit block diagram according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a functional circuit block diagram according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a top-side perspective view of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a side-view showing that a cycling computer of the present invention is mounted to a bike;

FIG. 6 is a top-side perspective view showing a cycling computer of the present invention is provided with a shaft;

FIG. 7 is a top-side perspective view showing a cycling computer of the present invention is provided with a GPS Device;

FIG. 8 is a top-side perspective view showing a cycling computer of the present invention is provided with an inward CCD device;

FIG. 9 is a functional circuit block diagram according to a third embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 10 is a FITs file example.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1, 3, 5 and 6, a cycling computer 1 with an image processing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention is mounted on a bike 2. The cycling computer 1 includes a wireless receiver device 11 for receiving bike signals from a bike signal sensor 21 or rider signals from a rider signal sensor 22. The bike signal sensor 21 may include bike sensors mounted on the bike 2, including traffic conditions such as mileage or speed when the bike moves along a preset or random traffic path. The rider signal sensor 22 may include physiological signals such as heartbeat, temperature or consumption of calories of the rider when the rider rides the bike along the traffic path. The bike signals and the rider signals are transmitted to a microcontroller 12 via the wireless receiver device 11 for processing.

The cycling computer 1 is provided with a monitor 13 and a button 14. The traffic conditions recorded in the cycling computer 1 or the measured physiological signals of the rider are processed and digitalized into cycling data, and then the cycling data may be displayed on the monitor 13 through operation of the button 14. Of course, the cycling computer 1 may be provided with built-in sensor such as an altimeter 18 to obtain an altitude signal of the bike 2. The altitude signal may be added into the cycling data after processed by the microcontroller 12.

Based on the configuration above, the present invention further includes a CCD device 41 for recording environment images when the bike moves along the traffic path. The CCD device 41 is electrically connected to an image processing unit 42. The environmental images captured by the CCD device 41 are processed by the image processing unit 42 and then sent to the microcontroller 12. The microcontroller 12 is able to receive the environmental images and then incorporated the environmental images with the cycling data to form a plurality of object images to be displayed on the monitor 13.

As shown in FIG. 4, the monitor 13 can display both the environmental images and the cycling data such as health images 131, mileage 132, altitude 133 and so on. The displayed images shown on the monitor 13 may be changed by means of microcontroller 12 through operation of the button 14.

A memory 17 may be connected to the image processing unit 42 for storing the environmental images.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 7, a GPS module 15 is mounted in the cycling computer 1 for detecting a geographic data of the bike 2 when the bike moves along the traffic path. The geographic data may be integrated into the object images and then displayed on the monitor 13 for providing navigation reference to the rider 3.

Referring back to FIGS. 1 and 2, additional to the monitor 13 of the cycling computer 1 to show the object images, the cycling computer 1 may couple to other external electronic devices. For example, the cycling computer 1 includes a wireless transmission device 16 for transmitting real-time or recorded object images to the external electronic devices such as a personal computer, a smart phone or a television through a Wifi interface, a Bluetooth interface or an Infrared rays interface.

Alternately, the cycling computer 1 includes a wired transmission device for transmitting real-time or recorded object images to a personal computer, a smart phone or a television through a USB interface, a FireWire interface or a HDMI interface to display high-quality images.

When the bike 2 incorporated with the cycling computer 1 of this invention is located on street, the environment images around the bike 2 may be captured by the smart phone or other portable electronic device, so that the rider 3 can keep track of the bike 2 to achieve anti-theft effect.

In addition, the cycling computer 1 may include an acceleration sensor for detecting an acceleration data. The acceleration data may be incorporated into the object images for providing valuable safety information to the rider 3 of the bike 2.

Referring to FIGS. 6 and 8, the CCD device 41 may include a rotatable shaft 411 so that the CCD device 43 is rotatable to face the rider 3 to perform a self-taken photograph. Alternatively, the cycling computer 1 may be provided with an inward CCD device 43 arranged to face toward the rider 3 to allow the rider 3 to perform a self-taken photograph.

FIG. 9 is a functional circuit block diagram according to a third embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the cycling computer 1 also may include a wireless receiver device 11, microcontroller 12, a monitor 13, a button 14, a GPS module 15, a transmission device 16, a memory 17, an altimeter 18, a bike signal sensor 21, a rider signal sensor 22, a CCD device 41, and an image processing unit 42. An input signal selector 5 is further electrically connected between the microcontroller 12 and the wireless receiver device 11, the GPS module 15, the transmission device 16, and the altimeter 18. According to requirements, the rider may select at least one of the bike signal generated by the bike signal sensor 21, the rider signal generated by the rider signal sensor 22, the geographic data generated by the GPS module 15, and the altitude signal of the bike 2 generated by the altimeter 18 through the input signal selector 5 under a selection operation through the button 14. For example, the rider may select the bike signal, the rider signal, and the altitude signal without the geographic data. Of cause, the rider may select only the geographic data without any other input signals.

The microcontroller 12 is electrically connected to the input signal selector 5, so that the microcontroller 12 is able to receive and incorporating the selected bike signal, the rider signal, and/or the geographic data with the environmental images S1 captured by the CCD device 41 to generate at least one object data S2 incorporating with the environmental image S1.

Further, a data format convertor 6 is electrically connected to the microcontroller 12 for receiving and converting the object data S2 incorporating with the environmental image S1 to at least one encoded object data S2 incorporating with the environmental image S1 according to a selected data format 61, such as Flexible Image Transport System (known as FITS with filename extension .fit) or known STRAVA data format which is a social fitness network primarily used to track cycling using GPS data. A FITs file example is shown in FIG. 10. This file example has a file header with a number of data records Records 1 to 10. The data records may each have different length according the required number of definition message. A number of abbreviations used in the data records are defined as:

mfg: manufacturer

prod: product

SN: serial number

msg: message

HR: heartrate

cad: cadence

dist: distance

spd: speed.

Alternatively, the data format may be a GPS Exchange Format (known as GPX with filename extension .gpx). A GPX file example is shown below:

-   LLC</author><url>https://ridewithgps.com/routes/4287978</url><time>2014-03-24T17:0 -   4:34Z</time><trk><name>     -D1D2D3-Laura</name><trkseg><trkpt lon=“120.53377” -   lat=“24.25987”><ele>8.6</ele></trkpt><trkpt lon=“120.53304” -   lat=“24.26014”><ele>7.5</ele></trkpt><trkDt lon=“120.53286” -   lat=“24.2602”><ele>7.1</ele></trkpt><trkt lon=“120.53232” -   lat=“24.26039”><ele>6.2</ele></trkpt><trkt lon=“120.53167” -   lat=“24.26062”><ele>6.1</ele></trkpt><trkpt lon=“120.53153” -   lat=“24.26068”><ele>5.9</ele></trkpt><trkpt lon=“120.53039” -   lat=“24.26109”><ele>3.4</ele></trkpt><trkpt lon=“120.52953” -   lat=“24.26142”><ele>5.8</ele></trkpt><trkpt lon=“120.52942” -   lat=“24.26146”><ele>5.9</ele></trkpt><trkpt lon=“120.52876” -   lat=“24.2617”><ele>4.9</ele></trkpt><trkpt lon=“120.52832” -   lat=“24.26186”><ele>5.9</ele>

A number of abbreviations used in the above GPX file example are defined as:

lat: latitude

ele: elevation

trkpt: tracking point

trkpt lon: tracking point longitude

trkseg: track segment.

The object data S2 incorporating with the environmental image S1 sent from the data format convertor 6 may be transmitted via wireless communication interface or wired connection interface to a target electronic device such as an indoor fitness simulator 71 requiring the encoded object data S2 incorporating with the environmental image S1 for simulation. The object data S2 incorporating with the environmental image S1 may be transmitted to the indoor fitness simulator 71 in a real-time manner or stored in the data format convertor 6 for download.

Preferably, the data format convertor 6 or the microcontroller 12 is designed to have functionality of performing an interactive polling process where the data format convertor 6 waits for the indoor fitness simulator 71 to check for its proper data format by ways of a request line S3 and a response line S4 therebetween, so that the data format convertor 6 is able to convert the object data S2 incorporating with the environmental image S1 into a proper data format for various indoor fitness simulator 71.

Once the indoor fitness simulator 71 downloads the required object data with proper data format, it is possible to simulate a real exercise training to the rider 2 according to the bike signal, the rider signal, and/or the geographic data accompanied with the environmental image contained in the object data S2.

The object data S2 incorporating with the environmental image S is also possible to be transmitted to a number of on-line game devices 72, so that multiple players may play sport race by using the object data S2 incorporating with the environmental image S1 through local or internet network available. Furthermore, the on-line game devices 72 is possible to incorporate with various technics such as 3D video game, virtual racing (known as VR), and augmented reality (known as AR) by using the object data S2 incorporating with the environmental image S1.

In additional applications, the cycling computer of this invention may be connected with an exercise training device of an indoor fitness through a wireless transmission device or a wired transmission device for transmitting the object images to the exercise training device. The training resistance, the speed or other exercise status of the exercise training device can be adjusted to provide an exercise effect to the rider 3. By means of the cycling data recorded in the object image, it is possible to simulate a real movement to the rider 2, without need of riding bike 2 outdoors.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, it is apparent to those skilled in the art that a variety of modifications and changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present invention which is intended to be defined by the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A cycling computer for a bike, comprising: at least one bike signal sensor for detecting at least one bike signal of the bike when the bike moves along a traffic path; at least one rider signal sensor for detecting at least one rider signal of a rider when the rider rides the bike along the traffic path; an input signal selector electrically connected to the at least one bike signal sensor and the at least one rider signal sensor for selecting the at least one bike signal and the at least one rider signal under a selection operation of a button; a CCD device for recording at least one environmental image when the bike moves along the traffic path; an image processing unit electrically connected to the CCD device for processing the environmental image of the CCD device; a microcontroller electrically connected to the input signal selector and the image processing unit for receiving and incorporating the selected at least one bike signal and the at least one rider signal with the environmental image to generate at least one object data incorporating with the environmental image; and a data format convertor electrically connected to the microcontroller for receiving and converting the at least one object data incorporating with the environmental image into an encoded object image with a selected data format to be downloaded for a target electronic device.
 2. The cycling computer as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a memory mounted in the cycling computer and connected to the image processing unit for storing the at least one object data incorporating with the environmental image, the at least one bike signal, and the at least one rider signal, wherein the at least one bike signal include one of a mileage, a speed, slope, an altitude and the traffic path of the bike, and the at least one rider signal includes one of a heartbeat, a temperature and a consumption of calories of the rider.
 3. The cycling computer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cycling computer further comprises a wireless transmission device connected to the microcontroller for transmitting the at least one object data incorporating with the environmental image to one of a personal computer, a smart phone and a television through one of a Wifi interface, a Bluetooth interface and an Infrared rays interface.
 4. The cycling computer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cycling computer further comprises a wired transmission device connected to the microcontroller for transmitting the at least one object data incorporating with the environmental image to one of a personal computer, a smart phone and a television through one of a USB interface, a FireWire interface and a HDMI interface.
 5. The cycling computer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the target electronic device is an indoor fitness simulator.
 6. The cycling computer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the target electronic device is an on-line game device.
 7. The cycling computer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the CCD device is provided with a rotatable shaft so that the CCD device is rotatable to face the rider to perform a self-taken photograph.
 8. The cycling computer as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cycling computer is provided with an inward CCD device arranged to face toward the rider to allow the rider to perform a self-taken photograph.
 9. The cycling computer as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a GPS module electrically connected to the input signal selector for detecting at least one geographic data of the bike when the bike moves along the traffic path, and then transmitting the at least one geographic data to the microcontroller through the input signal selector. 